


Holiday Sweaters

by geminiangel



Series: 2017 NCIS Holiday Holidays Advent Challenge [14]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 08:44:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13004061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminiangel/pseuds/geminiangel
Summary: Written for the 2017 NCIS Holiday Holidays Advent Challenge over at https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com





	Holiday Sweaters

Dec 13: Holiday Sweaters

 

Tony grumbled as Jimmy rolled the victim over carefully, "Does no one have dignity anymore?"

"It is hard to have dignity when one is dumped dead in an alley, Anthony," Ducky scolded.

"He didn't have any before he died. Thank-you, boss." He responded automatically to the head slap.

"What have you got?" Gibbs asked sipping at a hot cup of coffee.

"According to his ID this is Ensign Micheal Parces," Tony began. "Owner of the coffee shop found the body shortly after five am and called the LEOs. Robbery doesn't appear to be a motive as they found his wallet lying next to the body. When they found his military ID they called it in. Given the lack of blood, it appears he was killed elsewhere and dumped here. Probie is photographing the alley from end to end and looking for any evidence or signs of a struggle."

"Cause of death?"

"Someone attempted to eviscerate the poor boy but given the lack of blood it appears to be post mortem." Ducky pointed to a gash in his sweater where a knife had sliced across.

"That sweater deserved to die." Tony muttered. "Boss," he whined at the second head slap. "You can't tell me that isn't the most hideous thing you ever saw. He pointed at the sweater with reindeer heads and garish elf heads alternating in rows.

Palmer pointed to the reindeer head near the victim's left side. "Stab wound here caused some bleeding. I'd say based on the location it was the death blow."

"Time of death, Ducky?"

"Hard to narrow down with as cold as it was last night, Jethro. Given the rigor and liver temp I'd say we are looking at between say 8 pm and 2 am."

"I'd say about 10:36."

Ducky looked across the body at Tony who had knelt beside the body. "Anthony, it is very difficult to ascertain without tests."

"Talk to me." Gibbs said taking another sip of coffee.

Using a pen, Tony carefully edged up the ensign's sleeve with a shudder. "Watch crystal is broke. Stopped at 10:36. Probably broke when he was dumped here. Talked to his CO. He was on three day shore leave. CO is making a list of others who were on leave as well as who he hung around with and is sending the list to McGee. We'll start interviewing as soon as it gets here."

"Good work, DiNozzo. Next of kin?"

"Parents. Michael and Eileen Parces of McClellanville, South Carolina. Locals are doing the notifications."

"Terrible time of year for this kind of call." Ducky said sadly.

"No good time of year for this kind of call." Jethro countered and the elderly man nodded regretfully.

"Talk to me." Gibbs was frustrated. He had been called into meetings for most of the day. He hated dealing with politicians.

"Ensign Parces told his bunk mates he had a date. Tracked down Ensign Patricia Marks currently stationed at the Pentagon. He picked her up and they had dinner at La Bellisimo. She said they left about 9 pm and he walked her to the station to catch the subway back to her apartment. McGee paused for a breath. "Ensign Marks' roommate remembers her arriving home shortly before 10. I faxed a picture over to the restaurant and the waiter remembers the sweater he was wearing."

"Crime of fashion." Tony muttered. He dodged, avoiding the slap Gibbs aimed at him. "I had the transportation authority check the security footage. It shows him leaving the station alone."

"So how did he get into the alley? Come on, his parents deserve answers."

"I had the LEOs circulate his photo to the local buses and taxi drivers. No one remembered the sweater. Given that," Tony turned the large computer screen to a map of the area. "Ensign Parces told his bunk mates he had taken a room for leave. I pulled his credit card and he checked in to the Hilton here yesterday afternoon. It is within walking distance of the station. According to the security footage at the station he started walking about twenty after nine. The direct route would take him along this route." Tony highlighted the route. "He was found here." He added an "X" to the display.

Gibbs walked closer to the screen to examine the route. "Six blocks? An hour to walk six blocks?"

"Obviously he stopped along the way." Tony replied. "His credit card was used at this coffee shop about a block from where he was found. The server checked the time stamp and confirmed that he paid at ten eighteen. He had a coffee. Before he left, he asked for a large coffee and a couple Christmas cookies to go."

"After Tony was able to narrow it down, I started pulling the cameras at the intersection and any security footage in the area."

"And…" Gibbs prompted.

"We found the site of the attack." Tony replied. "While McGee was pulling footage, I walked the block that café is on and the block before and after the coffee shop." He added another "X" on the map. "There is a recess right here. Locals say it's a popular spot for homeless and panhandlers. Our victim backtracked after leaving the coffee shop. I found a cup from that shop, spilled coffee and blood on the ground and areas where the blood was smeared by walking through it. Abby is running the DNA test now to compare the blood type we found to our victim."

"After Tony called with the address, I found this…" With a punch of a button, McGee started a video clip.

Gibbs watched as the ensign walked towards the recess. It wasn't possible to see into the area, but he could see their victim clearly as he handed the bag to someone. As he started to hand over the coffee; the ensign was pulled off balance by a shadowed figure. Their knowledge of attacks showed the moment the kill stroke was made. The ensign crumpled to the ground. As he lay there, the killer straddled him and sliced him across the stomach. "He used a fireman's carry to move the body. That hoodie should have plenty of our victim's blood."

"Yes. He also knew where the cameras were. The killer is careful to keep his hood up and avoid looking in their direction." McGee stopped the video. "On the way back, he continued to avoid cameras and he picked up his belongings and left the area. We lost him in a blind spot on this block."

"So, you're telling me, we have spent the whole day on this and we have nothing?" Gibbs eyed his team.

"We know where and how." McGee said a bit defensively.

"I need a who." Gibbs irritated grabbed his cell. "Gibbs," he growled. "Saddle up. We've got a body."

"Sheesh… not another one…" Tony shuddered.

"You would think you would be used to this by now, Anthony. In our business, bodies are nothing new."

"Not the body, Ducky. That." Tony pointed to the colorful sweater.

"I think it's kitschy." McGee said as he photographed the young woman in her loud red, gold and blue striped sweater adorned with a Christmas tree, completed with silver and gold metallic ornaments.

"It is tacky." Tony shook his head. "No fashion-sense. It has tassels around it." He pointed to the offending trim.

"Ducky?"

"Ah, Jethro. I'm afraid I have rather bad news. It appears that our victim died in the same manner as Ensign Parces. A stab wound followed by this cut." Ducky pointed to the ragged cut in her sweater. "It appears either we have a copycat or…"

"We have a Holiday Sweater Executioner out to rescue the world from crimes of fashion?" Tony spoke-up. "Thank-you, boss."

"Time of death?"

"Mr. Palmer?"

"Based on the liver temp and the temperature now. Not long. An hour at most."

"Surveillance?"

"Just at the entrance and exit of the alley." McGee shook his head. "This area isn't covered. I've requested the surrounding surveillance footage."

"DiNozzo."

"Victim is Petty Officer Barbara Lindsey. Currently in computer operations at Quantico. She left early to go home and change to meet an old friend and do some holiday shopping."

"And…"

"She has an apartment two blocks from here. Guy at the newsstand found her when he was closing up shop. He has storage in that building." Tony pointed. "Apparently, this alley is a short cut to the metro. Guy who found her ID'd her as a regular. When he called the police, he told them she was navy. From the blood, it appears the she was killed here."

"Witnesses?"

"It's busier in the morning and later in the evening." McGee apologized.

"He didn't move the body. Why?" Gibbs asked.

"Witnesses." Tony proposed. "There are restaurants and shops at both ends. He was afraid of being seen."

"But he was risking being seen. Broad daylight." McGee countered.

"Let's assume it's the same killer. Connect them."

"Both are navy."

"Hideous sweaters?" Tony suggested. "Thank-you, boss."

"Both are off-duty."

"Suck up… If you don't stop that, you're going to kill brain cells." Tony complained as Gibbs smacked him again.

"Focus." Gibbs ground out.

"Same wounds."

"Coffee." Gibbs turned to look at Tony sharply and Tony pointed to a cup laying a short distance away with coffee still laying in small puddles. "Homeless…" Tony took off out of the alley. They could see him taking to their witness before sprinting back. "Lou says there's been a homeless man hanging out in the area the past couple of months. Seems our victim would stop by on occasion and pick up coffee for Lou and the homeless man on cold days."

"Can he ID him?"

"Locals are going to set him up with a sketch artist and some photos of homeless they've picked up before."

"It doesn't make sense. Why would he attack people who are feeding him?" McGee questioned.

"I tell you it's the sweaters." Tony evaded Gibbs.

"McGee. I want all the footage you can get from the surveillance cameras in a two-block radius for the past two weeks."

"If he's a regular, he may have slipped up. On it, boss."

"DiNozzo. Next of kin need to be notified and see if you can contact the friend she was meeting. I want you to check the other jurisdictions. These may not be his first victims. Put a profile up and see if there are any matches to the MO."

"Got it. Stab wound fatal, stomach sliced, ugly sweaters."

"Forget the blasted sweaters." Gibbs growled as Tony walked away.

Gibbs sighed as he took a long sip of coffee as he looked around at his team exchanging gifts. Ducky was smiling as he held Victoria and was telling her a long Christmas story. It had taken three more days and two more attacks. During the fourth attack, a group of sailors had come upon the scene. They had taken the attacker down but were unable to save the victim.

When interrogated, Tony had talked the killer into confessing but he would never see a courtroom. Experts had diagnosed the man as having suffered a psychotic break. In the end, it had been the blasted sweaters. The homeless man swore that the people wearing them were aliens come to take over the world. DiNozzo had been insufferable the past two weeks. Gibbs smirked as he watched Tony open his next gift.

Tony opened the box eagerly before recoiling in horror as he pulled out a holiday sweater. "You monster!" Tony lunged for McGee who scrambled to get to his feet.

"Tony, no…I didn't…" McGee said as he sprinted for the door. "Tony!... Gibbs, help."

Gibbs got up and stood looking out the window. A rare snowstorm had dumped almost two feet on the area and the wind had piled it high along the fence and garage.

"Is that McGee out there?" Ducky asked coming over to join him.

"Yep." He took a long satisfying drink of coffee.

"Is that Tony chasing him?"

"Yep."

"Isn't that the sweater I saw you with the other day in his hands?"

"Yep."

"Are you going to tell him that you bought the sweater?"

Gibbs grinned as Tony caught up with McGee and tackled him into a drift. "Nope."


End file.
